The present invention pertains to ophthalmic surgical devices, systems, and methods. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention pertains to devices, systems, and methods for illuminating tissue in the eye that has periodic movement resulting from the periodic movement of a surgical probe in contact therewith.
Microsurgical procedures frequently require precision cutting and/or removing various body tissues. For example, certain ophthalmic surgical procedures require cutting and removing portions of the vitreous humor, a transparent jelly-like material that fills the posterior segment of the eye. The vitreous humor, or vitreous, is composed of numerous microscopic fibrils that are often attached to the retina. Therefore, cutting and removing the vitreous must be done with great care to avoid traction on the retina, the separation of the retina from the choroid, a retinal tear, or, in the worst case, cutting and removal of the retina itself. In particular, delicate operations such as mobile tissue management (e.g., cutting and removal of vitreous near a detached portion of the retina or a retinal tear), vitreous base dissection, and cutting and removal of membranes are particularly difficult.
Microsurgical cutting probes, such as vitrectomy probes, conventionally operate with high cutting frequencies. A pneumatic system can drive the cutting portion of the microsurgical cutting probe. The pneumatic system has a pulsatile nature, which causes the cutting portion of the microsurgical cutting probe to move in a pulsatile manner. When the microsurgical cutting probe is contacted with tissue in the eye, the tissue can acquire a synchronous, pulsatile movement. To a surgeon viewing the procedure through a surgical microscope, the tissue appears blurry as it moves at a frequency equal to that of the microsurgical cutting probe. The actual amplitude and shape of the moving tissue are obscured at such high frequencies. Thus, it is difficult for the surgeon to exercise the great care necessary to evaluate the tissue is being cut.
The present disclosure is directed to addressing one or more of the deficiencies in the prior art.